A Qualitative Study of How ICT Can Create aMore Patient Centered Healthcare System forPatients with Chronic Conditions

Abstract: The healthcare sector is becoming one of the biggest industries and employers in the world aswell as one of the most problematic costs for national economies. Many countries also face anincrease of chronic diseases as a result of aging societies and unhealthy lifestyles, which willcause a high demand on healthcare services to become more efficient. A common conclusion within healthcare research is that healthcare systems will not be able to cope with these problems unless they shift to a more patient centered focus, and there is a growing realisation that patient centered healthcare may be the most cost-effective way to improve health outcomes for the growing number of patients with chronic conditions.A promising tool to achieve more patient centered care systems involves the use of information-and communication technology (ICT). However, even though scientific research about the use of ICT within healthcare has shown positive results, a major breakthrough is still lacking and there is still a challenge in learning how to best use ICT to improve outcomes for patients. This report will further investigate this field and present a qualitative research on how ICT can be used to create a more patient centered care system, and what effects this will have on patients with chronic conditions. The results in this study derived from in-depth interviews with a wide range of different actors within the healthcare industry. It was found that there are many areas of care that are not patient centered today, and that different ICT systems can be used to help improve these areas. It was also found that which kind of ICT that is best suited, and what effects it will have on patients, will vary depending on which stage of care the patient is at.